<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Runaway Doe by HappyCannibal</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23328040">Runaway Doe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyCannibal/pseuds/HappyCannibal'>HappyCannibal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cannibalism, Human Hunting, Original Character - Freeform, Original work - Freeform, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:47:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,746</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23328040</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyCannibal/pseuds/HappyCannibal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a storm tore down the wall of one of his barns, the Butcher has to go chase down one of his livestock.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Runaway Doe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another assignment from my fiction workshop class. Hope you enjoy~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I groaned with the boards above my head as I stared up at the ceiling. My house and farm has faced strong gusts of winds, pounding rain, and even a minor tornado before but even this was giving me an antsy feeling. My pets were safe, I made sure of that, and my tools and livestock protected but something still didn’t feel right in my chest. </p>
<p>This was one of the worst storms to ever hit Barkerville, Missouri in years. It was a part of a larger system that hit the southern states, the outer bands of a once huge hurricane. Thankfully, this storm we were facing was not tornado producing like the ones further south. It was just really fucking strong. Minor damage maybe but nothing I wouldn’t be able to fix. The pounding of the rain and the howls of the wind against my house has been my playlist for the past five hours, only just intensifying two hours before, blocking out what would have been dawn. It kept me from performing my morning routine of making my rounds. Other than that uneasy feeling, I was feeling fine but my heart went out to my poor, poor pets who were not fine at all at the moment. </p>
<p>Laying on my back on the living room floor, I was covered from head to toe in three of my four legged children. My cats had found places to hide away from the storm but my dogs sought after me. My body became their comfort blanket, or bed in this case, as the storm picked up in intensity. Faintly I regretted wearing black but their comfort was above mine right now. As I laid there, I let my mind wander.</p>
<p>‘<i>Maybe it’s because I’m not doing my chores</i>,’ I thought. ‘<i>My day should have started hours ago. Feels weird being indoors at this hour</i>’. My collie, Benny, whimpered at a loud crack of thunder, derailing my train of thought. He pressed his cold nose against my cheek as he tried to press closer. </p>
<p>“It’s okay buddy. It’s okay,” I soothed, scratching behind his ear. I ruffled Daisy’s skin rolled neck and gave Leo’s head a pat as well, not wanting them to feel left out of the loving. “It’s going to be okay everyone. A storm like this can’t hurt us.” I hoped. That unsettling feeling still sat at home in my rib cage like an unsettled bird. </p>
<p>Gradually, the rain and wind began to die down until my house was no longer creaking and the outside world was silent. I nudged my dogs off of me and got up to look out the window to see if the storm was really over. Opening the blinds, I was greeted with a grey sky and a muddy, puddled ground but the rain did seem to have stopped. I looked over my shoulder, grinning. </p>
<p>“Let’s go check on our friends.” I said to Daisy, Leo, and Benny. The three jumped up and ran over to the door, tails wagging. I grabbed my jacket as I walked over and slipped on my boots. Together we ventured outside. </p>
<p>I inwardly groaned as not even fifteen seconds in, the dogs’ paws and legs with already brown with mud. Clean up was going to be an utter bitch later. I walked down the trail leading to the farm as my dogs happily ran forward, barking in joy of the storm being over and being able to finally stretch their legs. Most of my land was primarily an animal sanctuary where rescued animals had a place to live where they would be loved, nurtured, and cared for how they were supposed to. The majority of my residents were farm animals ranging from chickens to cows but I did have a few smaller rescues, my housemates being proof of that. They were all my friends and I loved every single one to death. My first stop was the barn where I housed the larger animals while the storm raged. I opened the doors and was greeted by the sight of my friends looking at me with joy in their eyes.</p>
<p>	“Hiya, guys!” I happily greeted, walking in to release them from their pens. I greeted every single one of them by name as they walked by after I opened their gates and gave their sides and heads loving patting. No doubt they were excited to finally frolic in the fields. I made sure to make the barn comfortable for them while they waited out the downpour but nothing beats an open field, regardless of mud. The last pen I came to was the only odd one out of my large friends, Prancer the deer. I had saved him as a fawn after a monster killed his mother. It was a miracle I managed to get to Prancer before he too met a horrible death. One of his legs was not right which caused him to constantly limp which was why I didn’t release him back into the wild. I just knew he would be an easy target out there. He quickly became one of my best friends as I watched him grow. We walked out the barn side by side, my hand on his strong neck. I laid out some hay and grass to keep them satisfied until I can really feed them before I continued on with everyone else.</p>
<p>	After the barn, the rest of my task was relatively short. The majority of my animals were the large ones and there were only ten of them. The chicken coop and kennels were quick work, the kennels only taking longer than I expected because I was swarmed by the new puppies and kittens. Not that I was complaining, though. With my friends happy and settled, I surveyed the property damage dealt by the storm. Thankfully it wasn’t too bad from what I could see. The damage I saw could easily be fixed by my sister.</p>
<p>	‘<i>I’ll give her a call when I get back inside</i>’, I thought as I continued to look around. Then I saw the tree line. A large tree I considered a marker at the edge of my property was missing. I would have thought nothing of it if I didn’t have important buildings over there.<br/>	“Fuck.” I groaned, running a hand through my hair. That wasn’t good. I ran over to the other side of my land with my dogs chasing after me towards where my main source of income came from. My livestock. When I got there, although still bad, the damage wasn’t as terrible as I thought. The tree had fallen on the building that housed the pens at an angle, collapsing the side of structure and opening it up to the outside world. I stepped over the ruin to check on my stock inside. They were pressed against the back walls of their pens, their eyes focused on me, silently watching as I scanned the crowd. Everyone looked alright, no major damage so nothing to worry about yet. I counted my numbers, making sure everyone was there, and realized I was missing two. There were a few who gave me trouble but only one was stupid enough to run when the opportunity presented itself.</p>
<p>	“Sally…” I growled. She finally did it and managed to bring someone else with her. I ran to the shed to grab my bike and hunting knife. My property was surrounded by woods but I knew they couldn’t have gotten far, especially since one was physically handicapped. Plus with the storm from earlier, the mud gave away their path. My rifle caught my eye and after a quick thought, I grabbed it as well. I’d rather save myself from the trouble of another breakout. Once they had a taste of freedom, they would continue to chase it.</p>
<p>	“Be a good boy and stay here, Benny,” I said. Benny was a herder. It was Daisy and Leo who I needed right now, the two being hounds. “Let’s go, sweeties. We got some critters to catch.” I revved the engine and sped off into the woods, Daisy and Leo running after. The trail became a little harder to follow once under the trees. The forest floor was covered in debris from the trees, all but hidden by the leaves and branches. The slick ground made me have to go slow so I wouldn’t have a nasty spill but Daisy and Leo were unrelenting in their pace, their mouths open and panting. I had to try hard not to just watch them work their powerful legs. It was awesome.</p>
<p>	Suddenly, Daisy and Leo sped off into the distance away from me, barking wildly. I heard a scream of pain, a fall, and then a crack. I knew one of my problems was now dealt with. I rode over to where Daisy and Leo were still barking, slowing to a stop when I got close and parked. My kids, the precious darlings, paced around the body of one of my run away livestock, his neck snapped and bloody. I couldn’t recall his name, his face just another among my flock, but I noticed he was one of the young ones. I didn’t care about his name, that much though, honestly. I knelt down and checked over his body. Although dirty, it showed no wounds worth worrying about. Daisy and Leo had done their job well.</p>
<p>	“Good girl, Daisy! Very good girl!” I praised her, scratching behind her ear. From her bloody muzzle, I knew she was the one to deliver the killing blow. She barked and wagged her tail. I gave Leo love, as well. “You too, Leo! You guys are so good. Daddy’s gonna treat you real nice later. Now watch over him until I get back, okay?” This one wasn’t my main target.</p>
<p>	Sally couldn’t have gotten far with her handicap so I left the bike to instead walk on foot, gun in hand. She must have heard the commotion created by the dogs because I was walking for longer than I had originally expected but you can only escape me but so far before I find you. ‘<i>Where are you…?</i>’</p>
<p>	“HELP!” cried a voice in the distance. “SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP!”</p>
<p>	I grinned. There she was. My little trouble maker. My bouncing doe Sally.</p>
<p>	I couldn’t help but think back to when I first met Sally as I followed her caterwauling. It was at a bar just outside of town, my back to the group of hunters as I sat at the bar nursing my whiskey. They were yammering and hooting about their latest hunt of innocent animals. My lip had curled in disgust. The monsters. Then Sally spoke up and told her story. She wasn’t from Barkerville but had come down for the hunting season. “The forest around this area,” She had said, “Was teeming with wildlife.” She had been stalking a doe in the backwoods, her eyes set on her head. When she paused to eat grass, Sally shot at her but the doe, spooked, leaped away at the last minute and was only struck in the side instead of the neck. As the doe cried in pain and fear, struggling on the ground, Sally walked over to her, took out her knife, and slaughtered the poor animal. Sally had gotten her prize. “That doe was delicious” Sally proudly proclaimed, ending her tale. She told the story like it was some grand narrative as the others hung on to every poisonous word. It was sickening.</p>
<p>	The other murderers congratulated her on the senseless death, clapping and toasting her name. It was then that I knew. She was the one. She would be the next member of the flock.</p>
<p>	Like the animal killing idiot she was, Sally couldn’t hold her liquor. Stumbling out of the door like a new born giraffe, she was escorted back to her lodging by a friend. I followed. Picking the lock to her door was disturbingly easy. Once I brought her to the farm, surprisingly, Sally quickly became one of my favorites. She snapped and bit at me whenever I fed the livestock and often tried to run when I let them out to roam and get some sun. Even after I snipped a tendon in one of her ankles, her fire still raged within. Sally was a feisty thing and I loved it. A little excitement did the heart good and she was my constant work out partner. Almost made me feel sad about having to say goodbye so soon.</p>
<p>	Her energy must have been running out because her limping was even more pronounced, giving up running altogether as she screamed for help. Sally probably couldn’t even hear my steps as I stalked towards her with how loud and frantic she was. Raising my rifle, I locked on to my target and fired. She cried out in pain and dropped to the ground, clenching her now bloody side. The leaves crunched under my boots as I stopped by her sobbing, dirty form, chest heaving with each rushed breath.</p>
<p>	“Doesn’t this feel familiar to you?” I asked, squatting down beside her. As Sally tried to scramble away, I grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanked it. Her cry of pain made me smile as I drew out my knife. “The doe you handicapped, crying and begging for her life with her eyes before you bore down on her with your knives? Do you think this feel good? <i>No</i>!” I yanked harder, bring her closer to snarl in her face. “It was agonizing for her, you <i>filthy</i> monster! And yet you still cut her down, made a trophy out of her head, and ate her flesh. Now you know how it feels to be treated as hunted prey.”</p>
<p>	“Let me go! Please, just let me go!” Sally sobbed, fat ugly tears cutting through the mud on her cheeks. Her flying spittle and snot made me pull back in disgust. “I just want to go home and see my son!”</p>
<p>	“The doe probably did, too.” I replied before slicing her throat.</p>
<p>---<br/>	I like to whistle as I worked. “Whistling while you work makes you do your job better”, said the Seven Dwarves but I was a fourth generation butcher. I’m pretty sure I was already doing my job well. Regardless, whistling made me happy and chopping meat made me happier. </p>
<p>	Most of the meat was already cleaned and quartered, wrapped up in paper and sitting in the fridge. The road I used to get into town was blocked off by downed trees due to the storm. It looked like my shop would be closed until it was cleared and since it was a side road, who knew how long that would be. I only allowed the freshest of meat to sell so this job was staying with me. The other runaway I cleaned and chopped would become treats for my kids. I thought we earned ourselves a treat. With one last slice of leg muscle, my job was done. I sighed and swiped my arm across my forehead. Man, butchering was fun but boy was it sweaty! After wrapping up the last of the meat, I took off my bloody gloves and smock and set them aside to wash off later. It was almost dinner time and I was in need of a shower.</p>
<p>	After showering and freshening myself up, I walked to my kitchen, petting my fluffy little Milo on the way. She meowed and followed after me. She must have known I was about to cook something special. </p>
<p>	Meat is best when it’s extra fresh. I had grabbed the steak from my earlier work I was eyeing for a long time. I was excited to finally eat it. Turning on my radio for background music, I got to work cooking up my soon to be delicious dinner. Before seasoning it, I slipped a piece to Milo. She gobbled it up, licked her paw, and meowed for more. That was all the confirmation I needed to begin cooking.</p>
<p>	With my dinner done, main course with a baked potato, salad, and a cold beer, I sat at my table and took up my utensils. I cut into the steak, the knife sliding in like the butter that sat on top of it.<br/>	I took a bite. It melted in my mouth.</p>
<p>	“My little doe,” I said after swallowing. “You’re delicious.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>